Nursyafiqah Salihin, 25, a native of Teluk Kumbar, said news of the project’s approval was devastating. She said the project would drastically alter the scenic southern coastline.
The first of three islands would be reclaimed off Permatang Damar Laut, south of Penang airport. The other islands would come up in the waters off Teluk Kumbar and Gertak Sanggul.
“The project’s approval will influence how I vote in the state elections, as I may vote for the candidate that opposes the project,” she said.
Six states, including Penang, are set to hold their elections within the next three months.
Federal approval of the RM10 billion reclamation project was announced by chief minister Chow Kon Yeow on Wednesday. He said approval was conditional on compliance with 71 conditions in an elaborate environmental management plan.
Other residents of Permatang Damar Laut, however, are in favour of the project.
T Ramasamy, 76, told FMT the project would bring much-needed development.
“Those who are opposing the project are merely anti-development,” said the longtime resident of Taman Permatang Damar Laut, adding that the project would create more jobs for youths in the area.
Asked about opposition from fishermen to the project, Ramasamy said their family members were likely to end up looking for jobs in the project as they would not want to work as fishermen.
Another Permatang Damar Laut resident in his 60s, who wanted to be known as Mohamad, agreed that those opposing the project were merely against developing the area.
Mohamad said the fishermen’s opposition to PSI reminded him of the community’s opposition to the construction of the first Penang bridge in the 1980s.
“They objected to the project when (then prime minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad proposed it because they said it would reduce their catch. But the fishery sector still thrives at the bridge site.
“These fishermen would actually benefit from this (PSI) project due to the job opportunities that come with it,” he said, adding that the project was being politicised by those who were against Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Another local resident, college student Emysha Kartika Akhmal Hisham, 21, believed that the project would create more jobs, particularly for youths in the area.
She said spillover development from the project would help make Permatang Damar Laut’s environment “more interesting”.
“However, I am worried about the possible silt, noise and air pollution from the project. Therefore, I hope the environment department will monitor this project,” she added.
Factory operator Yuz Razali, however, expressed concern that the massive project would affect the fishermen’s daily activities in the area.
“The silt that will be washed up to the beaches will make it hard for the fishermen to take their boats out and park them. Plus, they would have to go further to the deeper parts of the sea to catch fish,” the 36-year-old said.
The RM10 billion reclamation project is a state government initiative to finance the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) through the reclamation of three islands, covering a total of 1,620ha between Permatang Damar Laut and Gertak Sanggul.